Self-pay for celebration?

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

Planning some "goings-on" for upcoming Nurses Week....you know, decorating, recognizing, special and festive "feedings", adorning....the usual celebratory stuff, but more-so than in the past. (This is my first year as part of the management team.)

I now know why the nurses are just barely given a celebration of any kind. Nursing managers have to pay for it themselves!

I really thought there must be a pot (or even a smallish bowl) of $ for this provided by the hospital!

Spoke to the administrator myself, who said "We don't show preference to any specific department for any of "their weeks". We recognize the whole hospital". I suppose he has a point. Now, I know from personal experience in this hospital, that Hospital Week has NEVER been celebrated. I said, "Oh, so you are planning something for hospital week then (closely following nurses week)? GREAT!". He said something vague about ordering pizzas or having a hamburger fry for all.

Is this pretty typical? I am ready and willing to fund the celebration myself so it will be nice enough for our great staff, with some input from the willing nursing admin. secretaries, but don't want to step on the toes of the DON, who gets a bit territorial about others showing appreciation to the nurses. (She has already purchased a trinket for everyone, so I'm not sure she will want anymore spent. She did not talk to me or anyone else before doing this on her own, so may not be open to a bigger deal). Any advice?

[layna]

We're lucky. Our administration is paying for a Nursing Week Celebration where there will be one special thing each day like a crepe breakfast, clinical directors bringing strawberry shortcake to the nurses working on the floors, serving chips and dip etc...and we have an RN who receives a special award after being nominated by peers.

[kids]

I feel for your delemma ceecel.dee, last year (prior job) my "budget" to pay for Nurses week was $18 (yes, I said eight teen) for 36 Nurses AND that included any food AND the company I worked for charged us (my location) retail if we wanted any of the cheezy Corp. logo stuff.

I ended up spending $180 of my own money (not counting food) and not one penny of it went on Corp. junk.

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

This could/should be such a morale booster!

But with 50 nurses to buy for myself? Yikes!

Oh well, so be it! They are worth the investment! (Please be worth the investment....I'm positive my DH's opinion would differ.)

[llg, PhD, RN]

Welcome to the world of leadership positions! :-) ... and I say that with affection, not trying to flame or anything. (One must be careful to be politically correct these days!)

Some people assume that people in leadership positions (mangers, educators, etc.) have all the money and power to do whatever they want. "Those leaders" must be horrible people to not do such-and-such! -- is what they think. How wrong they are!

At my hospital this year, the budget for Nurses' Week is $5.00 per nurse -- and the gift must be given to all employees in the department, not just the nurses. So, everyone is getting key chain -- chosen because it is a nice keychain and it comes in a nice box.

The hospital will do additional things daily for the whole hospital that week for Hospital Week -- but as with most hospitals, the nurses get kind'a lost in the shuffle sometimes.

llg

[kat1216]

Administration at the hospital where I worked last year really were antagonistic toward the nursing staff but be had a wonderful VP of nursing. We managed all year to do raffles and other things to raise money for nurses day. We also got contributions from the medical staff and vendors. We had a wonderful celebration right in the hospital auditorium. We raffled off prizes, had appitizers and wine, we even had a fortune teller!

Staff that had to work would come down during their break. It really help the management staff (since we all know that we don't make all that much more than the staff). It was a great morale booster.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

I got a gift once for Nurses' Day years ago, that I really liked and still use.

It was a tote bag. BUT...that's not why I liked it so much. It's what's printed on the tote bag:

"Except for NURSES, there would be no hospital. NURSES are the essence of the hospital's soul."

-Anon.

Wonderful, and true.

Every day of the year is doctor's day, isn't it? Secretaries, and housekeeping are vital, but they don't have near the stressors, skills or education that nurses have.

Let's let nurses know they are appreciated.

[ChainedChaosRN]

There isn't a budget for nurse's day at my place either...and I did foot the bill. I remember how much discontent it breeded when I have been ignored on those days....and my nurses are too darn good not to be recognized.

I wish corporate would realize that and take a little off the top of the remodeling budget or the travel to timbucktoo money for their "training" meetings to recognize the backbone of what is making their company thrive.

I always let the nurses think corporate is behind the gifts ...makes my life easier.

Now...I have no idea what to get them this year...any suggestions??

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Three years ago:Canvas bag

Two years ago: Umbrella

Last year: Beach towel and lanyard

This year expect Canvas bag--nurses have been requesting it

Have had similar talks my HH agency. 3RN's complained last year cause not a peep re nurses week only colleague week--I also was miffed. VP NSG even asked me in a meeting when it was this year (been same week for 15 yrs)!. They did celebrate colleagues week last year 2wks after nurses week. Informed Boss, if they only had just put up a SIGN would have been OK to delay food n gifts till we all got together.

However, MGMT has had numerous Pizza parties when new computer system started, hoagie day for JCAHO prep, Ice cold water bottles in summer, water ice etc this past year to acknowledge staff's hard work. It's the ACKNOWLEDEMENT or thank you for your work that nurses mostly want to hear.

[janetrnc]

At our hospital, the CNO adds nurses day to her administrative budget. In addition the marketing director along with the nurses plan the week. Last year we had gift baskets every day to giveaway with every nurses included in the drawing. Local merchants donated a LOT of items for the drawings. Grand prize was a cruise for two. We had brunch one day, an ice cream social (administration and nurse management served all three shifts). Our grand finale on friday was a setup for coffee and cake, free chair massages, a jewelry sale, makeovers, a uniform sale, and a free 8 x 10 portrait.

We are planning to do something along the same lines this year and the mayor is making a proclamation declaring it Nurses Week.

I also personally buy gifts for my staff in addition to what they receive from the CNO.

I work at a small hospital

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

Originally posted by Hellllllo Nurse

"Except for NURSES, there would be no hospital. NURSES are the essence of the hospital's soul."

-Anon.

:) This is absolutely fabulous! I may use it! Thanks!:kiss

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Our nursing admin group gets together and pot lucks a homemade lunch for nurses on one night of the week. They set up in the nicest conference room, and then fan out to help relieve the floor nurses for breaks. The DON stays to assist with the food. The hospital pays for drinks (stolen from unit fridges). This happens on day and night shift- so all the managers and DON show up at 2am to serve the nurses and relieve for breaks then as well. It is much appreciated since the bosses are going out of their way, and the cost is only the food which was made at home.